GLENVILLE, W.Va. (Jan. 20) – The Cardinals were handed a 123-74 loss at No. 16 Glenville State Wednesday evening inside the Waco Center.
The Cardinals, who debuted at No. 5 in the most recent D2SIDA Atlantic Region Poll, fall to 3-2 overall. The Pioneers, who are slotted at No. 16 in the D2SIDA Division II Poll, improve to 4-1 on the season.
Junior forward
Lilly Ritz (Cambridge, Ohio/Cambridge) registered her fifth double-double in as many games. The Mountain East Conference (MEC) Player of the Week finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds in the loss.
Sophomore guard
Maura Castelluci (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) added 19 points, including 5-of-9 shooting from long range, while freshman guard
Shanley Woods (Wheeling, W.Va./Park) chipped in 15 points.
Glenville State opened up a 9-2 lead three minutes into the game, but a Castelluci trey helped cut the deficit to 9-6 with just over five minutes to play in the first quarter.
A basket by senior guard
Tori Harrison (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) helped keep the Cardinals within shouting distance at 12-8 at the 4:40-mark, before the Pioneers full-court pressure finally started doing damage. Glenville State closed the period on a 17-6 run to take a 29-14 lead into the second quarter.
The Cardinals continued to have issues finding any offensive rhythm in the second quarter due to the full-court press. Glenville State managed to build its lead to 70-33 entering halftime.
Glenville State did not let up from its pressure and never allowed the Cardinals to mount a comeback in the second half.
Wheeling was out-rebounded 63 to 43 on the evening, including a 28 to 10 deficit on the offensive glass. Glenville State was only 10 of 38 (26 percent) from three-point range, but managed to notch 34 second-chance points.
The Cardinals finished with six blocked shots, including three from both Ritz and sophomore
Jacqui Hinesmon (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton).
Six Pioneers scored in double figures, including a double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds by Zakiyah Winfield.
The Cardinals return home to the McDonough Center on Saturday, January 23 to take on Concord at 2 p.m.
